"Wedding Details"

DATE: Sunday, October 14, 2001

TIME: 3:00 p.m.

LOCATION: Riviera - Brooklyn, New York
The Riviera has an excellent reputation in Brooklyn for good food and good service. Trust us, they did not disappoint in that regard. Their facility is beautiful, the service is exceptional and the food and beverages are scrumptious! We were treated like royalty and so were our guests. Having our wedding and reception at Riviera was one of the best decisions we've ever made.

OFFICIANT:
Rev. Dr. Laura B. Sinclair (Assistant Pastor, Antioch Baptist Church of Corona - Corona, NY)
In October 1994, Reverend Sinclair officiated the reaffirmation of vows ceremony for Kristel's parents' 25th anniversary celebration. She did an excellent job and was very accommodating in customizing that service. As expected, she was very gracious and accommodating with us as well. Due to her efforts, our ceremony was personal and beautiful; which was what we were striving for.

CEREMONY:
Both the ceremony and reception were held at Riviera. This aspect made it very convenient for us and our guests; it also served to keep the festivities continuous! The ceremony was held in the Riviera's beautiful outdoor garden complete with lush flowers, greenery and waterfalls. The ceremony was a traditional Protestant ceremony and we had renaissance trumpeters and a keyboardist provide the ceremony music (as a treat, they heralded our guests upon arrival to Riviera). As part of the ceremony, we included a poetry reading, a unity candle lighting and recited our own personal vows to each other in addition to the standard vows. At the conclusion of our ceremony, we had a release of 14 white doves. It was a splendid sight that delighted us and our guests.

COCKTAIL HOUR:
The cocktail hour commenced immediately after the dove release. We greeted each of our guests as they entered into the reception hall for the cocktail hour. Although we spent most of our time taking pictures by the waterfall and relaxing in the bridal suite, we were able to see the action through a one way mirror. We observed our guests laughing, talking, eating and drinking - basically having a good time. The food was plentiful and delicious. A number of our guests thought that the cocktail hour was actually dinner for the evening. Little did they know there was more to come!

RECEPTION:
The reception began with the introduction of the bride's grandmother, the parents, bridal party and finally Mr. and Mrs. Our first dance was to "On the Wings of Love" by Jeffrey Osborne. Once we finished our dance, we had a libation and broom jumping ceremony to honor our ancestors. The ceremony was conducted by Asante Weddings. It was a lovely ceremony that included participation from our guests; as several family members and friends were invited to tie ribbons on our wedding broom. Other highlights of the reception included the Best Man and Maid of Honor's speeches, poetry readings from the Mothers of the Bride and Groom and an a cappella rendition of  "When I Fall in Love" that the groom sang to the bride. A number of the guests said that they never knew that Kevin could sing so well! The guests feasted on a magnificent five course meal which included dinner from a choice of ten entrees and an all-night open bar. There was also plenty of music and dancing to keep the crowd going! All-in-all it was a great evening!

HONEYMOON:
We honeymooned at Sandals Royal Bahamian resort located in Nassau, Bahamas. It's a beautiful, an all-inclusive luxury resort that caters to couples only. We had fun swimming, jet skiing, relaxing in the whirlpool, having a "massage a deux" in the spa and hanging out by the beach. We also took a few off-resort tours, visited a Pirate's Museum and went snorkeling on a day trip to a private island. Although the weather didn't cooperate on some days, we still had a good time.

BRIDAL PARTY

MAID OF HONOR:
Lauren, Sister of the Bride

BEST MAN:
Loren, Friend of the Groom

BRIDESMAID:
Michelle, Sister of the Bride

GROOMSMAN:
Abraham, Friend of the Groom

FLOWER GIRLS:
Daria, Niece of the Bride

Asia, Goddaughter of the Bride

BUBBLE GIRL:
Diamond, Friend of the Bride